Nutrition Bars

[Propnose]

Hello Everyone!

I am wondering what the best nutrition bar is to buy? There are so many out there & it's hard to determine what ones are really the most nutritious. Also, is there a difference between a nutrition bar and a protein bar? I bought some Zone Perfect nutrition bars and they taste really good. It has 12g of protein per bar, but it also has 5g of saturated fat. Just curious what snack bars others are using!

Thanks,

Mark

[Dave]

According to Mr. Horton the top winners are Larabar and Greens Plus. I picked up both at Trader Joe's and they are pretty good. Larabar's have only two or three ingredients. It's like "cashews and dates". They taste pretty good, but the key is that they are filled with whole foods. The Greens Plus contain a lot more ingredients but they are organic and they are "cold pressed" which is somehow healthier than the other process (not sure how). In addition, Greens Plus touts its bars as being "alkaline forming". Watch this video and you'll see why that's important: http://www.thefitclubnetwork.com/2009/11/how-diet-soda-makes-you-fat/

Read the ingredients on the bars, not just the nutrition facts. If it has a lot of things that end in "ose", I'd avoid it. That's sugar no matter how you cut it. Many of them also have artificial sweetners in them. These are significantly cheaper than the ingredients in a Larabar, but last time I checked an apple tasted pretty darn good.

Give 'em a shot.

[Propnose]

Thanks Dave - I'll check those out!

[Propnose]

Hey Dave,

I bought the Larabars & Greens bar today. I haven't tried the Greens bar yet, but the Larabar was great! Thanks for the suggestions.

[Dave]

Hey Dave,

I bought the Larabars & Greens bar today. I haven't tried the Greens bar yet, but the Larabar was great! Thanks for the suggestions.

My pleasure. Enjoy the goodness.

[Chicky6898]

I ordered the Greens Plus bars today! YAY! I can't wait to try them!

[Propnose]

They are delicious!

[JimNAZ]

Hi everyone,

Kind of new to the whole "nutrition" thing so I apologize if this is a silly question. (I am trying to learn . . .)

I checked out both of these bars yesterday and they were high in sugar (18 grams). I understand that it is (probably) a better sugar but still isn't this high?

When would these bars be used? as a snack (as in between meals) or as a mid morning/afternoon meal/snack?

Thanks

Jim

[Dave]

Hey Jim - You've really identified it.

The sugars in the Larabar are from the fruits in the bar. Dates, apples, etc. Stuff with one ingredient. These are naturally occurring sugars that your body easily metabolizes. Most fruit is going to have sugar in it. While you don't want to eat them excessively, your body can use that sugar effectively.

Greens Plus has a lot more ingredients than a Larabar does for sure. The Energy Bars do have a lot of sugar as well. According to their website:

"We've combined organically grown superfoods, soy protein, high energy herbal extracts and a little bit of honey to produce the only cold-processed, alkaline-forming green food bar. The GREENS+® Energy Bar contains no processed sugar, salt, corn syrup, hydrogenated oil, synthetic sweeteners, preservatives, or genetically modified foods of any kind. Greens Plus delivers low-glycemic carbohydrates, protein and essential fatty acids that supplies a steady stream of energy throughout the day. Perfect for athletes seeking an edge, students, travelers, children of all ages, and anyone in need of optimum energy, superior well being, and peak performance. Eat one bar as a healthy snack between meals, or two bars for a complete meal replacement. For best results, chase with 8oz of pure water. Store in a cool dry place or refrigerate for extended shelf life."

So, you have to say that's not a piece of fruit, or even as "clean" as a Larabar. It is convenient, and sometimes that's where we get in the most trouble. At least I do. I keep these two things and some homemade trail mix (http://www.marksdailyapple.com/sweet-and-salty-primal-trail-mix/) in my desk at work. My law firm is kind enough to put out snacks for us and I know they mean well, but eating chips, processed snack bars, and SUPER SALTY nuts, just isn't going to get me where I want to go. I use the bars and the trail mix as snacks. Usually around 10:30 and 3:00. That bridges my meals.

So, the best thing is whole foods without doubt. The bars are great, but you can't live on them alone. Really take the time to dig down in the ingredients of these things as well. If they have a lot of things ending in "ose" or beginning in "hydrogenated" take a pass and grab a Larabar. The Cashew Cookie has two ingredients - cashews and dates. Hard to be that for wholesome goodness in a bar.

Dave

[JimNAZ]

Hey Dave! As always great feedback and thanks for the info.

So these bars are more of the "break glass in case of fire" and not a meal replacement? That is still good to know and great to have on hand for those times I unfortunately have to stretch the time in between meals.

Thanks again

Jim

[Dave]

Hey Dave! As always great feedback and thanks for the info.

So these bars are more of the "break glass in case of fire" and not a meal replacement? That is still good to know and great to have on hand for those times I unfortunately have to stretch the time in between meals.

Thanks again

Jim

I'm not sure I'd put it that way necessarily. There's a scale of things to eat. If you've got another option, then go for that. The Larabars are fine. For comparison purposes, an apple has about 23g of sugar in it. I would never tell you not to eat an apple. So, if you need to have an apple in a wrapper, because that's what life dictates, then so be it.

[JimNAZ]

Got it!

I actually bought a few Larabars and needed to use one yesterday. Did a late yoga class and no time to put a full meal in my stomach. It was really good and got me through 90 mins of Bikram yoga!
When I read the ingredients I actually heard your voice say: "Nuts & dates". :)

[Dave]

Got it!

I actually bought a few Larabars and needed to use one yesterday. Did a late yoga class and no time to put a full meal in my stomach. It was really good and got me through 90 mins of Bikram yoga!
When I read the ingredients I actually heard your voice say: "Nuts & dates". :)

Yeah, it's nice to be able to pronounce the ingredients in your chow. LOL. I had some carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower with hummus (darn, more ingredients) for lunch.

[txgolfpro]

I am eating a Greens+ "High Protein Food Bar" as I type this, and it's.... OK. Very dense and funky. And expensive. There are other flavors, so I'll try them before I give up on it. Larabars are great, but don't have much protein in them.

I eat bars mainly because I want to stay away from the stuff I used to eat, and they provide a quality, convenient snack. Depending on how many total calories I need that day, I eat 1/2 to a full bar as a snack. 1/2 of a bar is a little over 100 calories, but it has enough protein to carry me through to the next meal. I've also eaten a whole bar prior to long runs of 8 miles or more.

I eat a lot of the P90X bars, which I love, but I'm on the lookout for better ones. Maybe Beachbody will improve them...

Miki

[Propnose]

When I am on the road my schedule doesn't really allow a normal meal routine, so I make sure I have enough Larabars and Green bars to get me through the week! I only eat one(maybe 2) a day if I need that extra energy. Yesterday I ate two in the morning as a meal replacement. While I am flying, I always have one in the cockpit with me so I am not tempted by the snacks we have on board. So far, it is working out for me fine. As a side note - I was watching the Today show yesterday morning and there was a piece on there about good vs. bad things to eat and when they got to nutrition bars, they showed Larabars! The guy was the editor of Men's Health and he said just what Dave has said. They are good, because you can read the ingredients - Nuts & Dates!

[Sterling]

Hello Everyone!

I am wondering what the best nutrition bar is to buy? There are so many out there & it's hard to determine what ones are really the most nutritious. Also, is there a difference between a nutrition bar and a protein bar? I bought some Zone Perfect nutrition bars and they taste really good. It has 12g of protein per bar, but it also has 5g of saturated fat. Just curious what snack bars others are using!

Thanks,

Mark

If you absolutely must have a bar, then stick to bars that are as 'whole food' as possible, minimally processed, and with the least amount of sugar. If you're trying to lose body fat, I'd stick to whole foods.